


The Art of saying Sorry

by ihavenoexcuse4this



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Sickfic, Some Plot, Whump, not really tho, sick david
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 07:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ihavenoexcuse4this/pseuds/ihavenoexcuse4this
Summary: David started sobbing. He started sobbing over something that he has said and... Max tries to tell himself that it is fine. It does not really matter whether David cried in front of him or by himself. It does not work as well as he would like it to, because he somehow managed to make David cry.





	The Art of saying Sorry

David started sobbing. He started sobbing over something that he has said and... Max tries to tell himself that it is fine. It does not really matter whether David cried in front of him or by himself. It does not work as well as he would like it to, because he somehow managed to make David _cry_.

 

In the end, he does not remember what he said, or why he did, but he knows that he feels awful. He does not really know how to put his uncomfortableness into words.

 

“For god’s sake! Why the hell are you crying now, you big baby. Aren’t you supposed to be the adult?!” he screeches before he can stop himself, and it sounds horrible, even to his own ears. Being mean to David comes so naturally to him nowadays, that he almost feels like he has no other choice.

 

David says nothing from where he sits at his table in the mess hall, and the other kids sure as hell decided to stay quiet as well. David buries his face in his hands and whimpers something that sounds an awful lot like an apology and David really should not be apologizing. He should… He should probably be yelling at him to- to stop being a little shit or something along those lines.

 

But David would not do that. David does not yell, or swear or… tell him off, really. He is way too nice for his own good.

 

Most of all, he is still crying. Trying desperately to stifle sobs without succeeding at all.

 

“That was not nice.”, Nurf tells him, and Max _knows_. He knows all of this and he still continues to be… not nice. Gwen looks at him weirdly from where she is standing beside David’s shaking body. “No, it really wasn’t.”, she says, continuing to rub her hand up and down David’s back. “I’m sure that Max is going to apologize.”

 

Apologizing sounds like the right thing to do, but he seems to have somehow forgotten how talking works. Gwen looks disappointed at his lack of apology and he feels at least as disappointed as she looks.

 

“I don’t feel good.”, David mumbles and both of their heads snap to him in an instant. He does look good either – all blotchy and red-eyed and snotty. His face is also rapidly losing color now – so fast, that Max feels his heart speeding up. “David?”

 

Gwen grips David’s left shoulder and puts her hand on his right cheek. “David! You’re burning up! When did this happen?”

 

David sobs weakly, eyes not really focusing on anything. “I’m cold.”, he states and starts shaking violently to get his point across. Max feels pretty shaky himself.

 

“Is it going to fry his brain?”, Nikki asks, and she sounds a tat too excited.

  
“No.”, Gwen says forcefully. “No one’s brain will get fried, don’t worry kids, he’s fine.”

 

“I don’t feel fine!” David squeaks.

 

“I’m trying to make a point, David.” Gwen sights. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

 

“I’m sorry!” Max blurts in a moment of crushing guilt and self-loathing. “I didn’t mean to make him sick!”

 

Gwen sighs, which is weird, because Max somehow managed to… fry David’s brain or something, and that is not to be sighed upon! Gwen should rather help David – dump him in ice water or something like that. He tells her exactly that. Then, she has the audacity to sigh again and Max narrows his eyes at her, ready to yell something at _her_ too, when she says: “You didn’t get him sick, Max… I guess you just- just pushed him a bit too far when he was not feeling good to begin with.”

 

“Is David really going to be okay?” Harrison asks, obviously scared. “I could try a healing spell.”, Nerris ads. Gwen smiles weakly.

 

“Thank you Nerris, we should try some medicine first though.” She pauses. “Of course he will be okay, don’t worry guys. Will you all be okay to stay with the Quartermaster while I get him to bed?”

 

Max swallows; watching Gwen heave David up by is arms – the guy does not seem to be aware of his surroundings at all anymore – and follows her automatically. She pauses, adjusting David’s arm around her slightly. “Max, you stay here too, please.”

 

“What?”

 

David lists to the side slightly and Gwen pulls him fully upright again. “Max please don’t do this now, David is really sick and I should really get him to his cabin instead of arguing here with you.”

 

And then they just… leave. He watches the doors slam shut and takes a deep breath. The mess hall is still weirdly quiet, and when he turns around, everyone is just watching him. “Show is over.”, he mutters. “Nothing to see here.”

 

Then he storms out of the room too, not even giving anyone a chance to say anything.

 

He curls up in his poor excuse for a bed for what feels like forever and hates himself for worrying too much. Technically, he does know that he cannot pretend to hate David when it is just him that has to believe it, but it still pisses him off. It probably is just short of half an hour when he finally has enough and jumps up. “This is ridiculous.”, he mutters. “Gwen can’t keep me out, this is a free country.”

 

The door to David’s cabin was unlocked and he stumbled in. David was nowhere to be seen, and Gwen was absent as well, but he heard voices from somewhere.

 

The bathroom.

 

He did not really invade anyone’s privacy, because the door to the bathroom was wide open, but he somewhat wishes that he had just stayed outside.

 

He is greeted with a really hysterical: “Max! Stay the fuck out of here!” from Gwen and his eyes fall on David who is propped up by Gwen in the shower, still wearing most of his clothes and sobbing loudly.

 

“What-“ Max stutters to a halt. “What’s going on?”

 

“He’s delirious. Get out Max!” Gwen sounds downright insane and Max is so confused that he does get out, shutting the door and trying to keep himself busy with making David a cup of tea. He tries not to flinch whenever he hears David cry out in the bathroom. He bites his lip hard enough to taste blood while bringing the water to a boil, but it does not really keep the tears from springing into his eyes.

 

“Come on buddy.”, he hears and turns immediately, teacup in his hands and all. Gwen and David are slowly shuffling out of the bathroom, David now wearing sweatpants and a hoodie that has to be at least 3 sizes too big on him. He looks more coherent though – not quite aware of everything that is going on around him, but definitely more alert.

 

“What were you doing in the shower?”, Max asks, because it has been bugging him since he stumbled out of the bathroom.

 

Gwen looks uncomfortable. “Nothing to worry about.”, she tries, as if Max is 4 years old and that gullible.

 

“Yeah, when an adult says stuff like that, it is usually not true.”

 

“His fever just spiked a bit, but we got it down. It’s fine now.”

 

“What?! Brain-frying high?!”

 

“You need to chill Max; that usually does not happen. We caught it in time, it’s all good.”

 

“I made tea.” Max blurts out, because this is not something he can talk about, and Gwen smiles at him – this time, her smile looks genuine.

 

“Thank you Max.” she says, before helping David under the covers. Max does not move an inch, and Gwen pats on the spot of the bed that is currently not occupied by her or David. “You can come closer. I think David would want to drink the tea instead of just looking at it.”

 

Max feels really stupid. “Yeah. Sure. Of course.“ He hands the cup to Gwen, who tries to get David to drink some of it, but he does not seem too enthusiastic.  

 

“Just a few sips.” she urges him. “Please.” It sounds really important, so Max nudges him. “I did not do anything to it.”

 

David blinks at him. “I know that.” he says, oddly serious. “You’re a good kid Max, I just don’t think that you know that.”

 

Max is taken aback, swallowing heavily. “I just feel a bit sick at the moment. Not really ready to put something in my stomach.” David continues nonchalantly.

 

“I-“, Max clears his throat. “I’m sorry for earlier.”, is what he settles for, even if he feels that it is not enough.

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Max narrows his eyebrows. “Can you, for the love of god, stop with the ‘fine’-bullshit?! Not everything is always ‘fine’. You should be mad. Why the fuck aren’t you mad?!”

 

Gwen looks ready to intervene and David just looks more exhausted by the second, but he is obviously trying hard to keep his eyes open. “

 

“I- I’m not mad at you. I’m sorry for scaring you – it was not appropriate to react that way. It was not your fault though. I always get a bit loopy if my temperature gets too high. That is… That should not be your problem, and you absolutely should not have to worry about that.”

 

“But it’s not your fault either, you dummy.” Gwen says, effectively breaking the awkward silence. “Now drink your tea and go to sleep, okay?”

 

“No, he has to understand this. It’s really important.” David can barely keep his eyes open at this point. “He has to know that there is nothing wrong with him.”

 

“You have all summer to get that point across.” Gwen gently presses the cup of tea to David’s lips, watching him take a few sips, his eyes already fallen shut. Then, she helps him lay down properly, smoothing wet hair away from his forehead.

 

Max watches David almost numbly. He and Gwen sit in silence for minutes, before he trusts his voice enough to say something. “That was really scary.”  


“Yeah.” She looks at him, pausing slightly. “But I think he is out of the woods.”

 

“What a misusage of a metaphor.”

 

Gwen chuckles. “You know, I don’t think he minds that thing you have going on with him, but I think it would be fairer to him if you just tried to be nice to him once in a while.”

 

Max looks at David’s sleeping form. Takes in the purple rings under his eyes and the grey-ish hue to his face, which is only made more prominent by the fever-flushed cheeks. He sighs.

 

“Yeah.”, he agrees. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> I really don't know how this happened. I should be studying instead of writing self-indulgent fics. (but I hope you still enjoyed it)


End file.
